MadMike550

find another one for sale in your area..and go test drive it
make sure it has the same transmission..or you will still have doubts

without a ride in yours..it's hard to tell you one way or the other

JD Huyler

That doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I really can't find any around right now. Maybe you cann answer this question. When I was checking the cv joints weeks ago the boot on the inner joint seemed to be spongier than the outer. I really don't know if it's supposed to that way. No leaks though. No grease coming out. Nothing. Also still no noises coming from the suspension at any time.

JD Huyler

Let me try to be more clear. The spongy feeling I speak of is well, the rubber on the inner joint sort of feels like what the rubber around shocks/struts feel like? See what I'm saying? How they arent tight around the joint like the outer one. I am pretty sure it is like that on both sides. It also seems like it's more common for the outter cv joint to wear out first, but anything is possible. I know on some cars though the steering rack has that little loose feel on the rubber. This could be the steering rack. Tomorrow morning I am gonna throughly check it again, and the other side to see if I see any differences. Again no fresh grease on my hands or fingers. Just the common slight dried up dirt/grease marks that you will get putting your hand under any car, and feeling around.

MadMike550

from your discription everything seems like it's ok..normal

JD Huyler

Including the Skateboard/Rollerblade road feel? I really would like to not have to dump a bunch of money into this already. All the money I could have spent on a down payment for a brand new one went to buying this one. I was actually considering a 2010 XB, but at the time I was unemployed, and couldn't get financed.

MadMike550

without going for a ride in yours I cannot say for sure...

if your really in doubt..bring it in to the dealer..have one of their techs take it for a drive with you and find out

kewlbox

I had the same problems when speeding up when going over 40 MPH, ended uo being a bent drive axle.

JD Huyler

Well mine seemed to get smoother above 55 mph. Anyway a little update. My good friend who is a mechanic who I had the falling out with we have patched things up. Anyway he took a ride in it with me, and says everything is normal. He said if anything my tires are out of balance as my wheel wobbles very slightly at high speeds. And I mean very slightly. Just a little wobble, and no shaking or vibration from the steering wheel. I plan on investing in some new tires all around soon as they are dry rotted, and I can't rely on them for a 3000 mile move across country. Funny thing though is this week I drove three other cars. I drove my roommates 07 Corolla which has 84k miles. Not even two thousand more than mine. It actually seemed to have the same feel, and not only that, but the steering was more loose on that car, but it had better tires, and no wobble at all, but all in all my XB has the same if not better ride quaility.

I had been comparing it to my 02 Focus I just sold with almost 150k miles on it. That car felt a little smoohter, BUT the front end parts have all been replaced, and have less miles on them than what I am assuming is the original on my XB. Also drove my friends 98 Sunfire which has 119k, and she actually had a vibration, but her car just more or less felt like a 1998 rather than something wrong with it. Just a more dated ride quality. Also drove my moms 01 Grand Marquis which has 104k miles I believe. She got into an accident with that, and later on the front end all needed replacing. The feel of the road was smoother, but the steering was extremely sloppy. Thats rear wheel drive though. Anyway thanks for all the help. I think I am good to go though for now.

ilovemybox

Yes I agree with the post above. It does seem to me like drive axles
Take it to a reputable alignment shop that will do some sort of inspection and they should be able to tell you your problem

JD Huyler

Well it wasn't when I went over 40 it was more or less from 25 on up, and maybe even feeling smoother around 60. No noises, or clunks, or anything. I just took it first thing this morning to my buddies shop. He's one of my best friends, and we had a brief falling out which is why I didn't have him check it out a month ago. He's a damn good mechanic, and he's done everything for me on all of my vehicles I have ever had that I couldn't do myself. Going all the way back to when I had my first car in high school. Never charged me for labor either, and at the most I would buy him lunch or something for repairing it for me. We been friends since before either of us were driving so I trust him. He put it on the lift, and checked it out. He also took a ride in it the other night, and said what I am feeling is not vibration. It's just the feel of the road. The car sits low, and the wheelbase causes it to pick up more of a road feel. He says if you drive a Chevy Aveo or any really small car or even something like an Echo you will get that. He recently drove one of those Smart Cars he was telling me, and the thing was brand new, and you felt the road like it was literally on your feet. He said there really isn't any problems, and he really knows one when he sees one. So when I move next month that is the biggest disadvantage not having him around as both a friend, and someone who has helped me with all kinds of problems with my cars.

So I am putting my trust in him that it isn't a problem, and the problem or lack of a problem doesn't seem to have gotten bigger since I have owned the car so I will go with that. Also if it was a bent axle than after driving those other two cars of my friends, than they obviously have bent axles too. Thanks for the help though!

RedneckwithanxB

Mine does the same thing... seems like the firewall is having a seizure right?

Bad tie rods

JD Huyler

Nah I don't get quite that. I do know the feeling though as I have had tie rod problems on pretty much every other vehicle I have owned. I have a horrendous problem, and curse with front ends. Thats probably what freaked me out to make this thread. First car I had was an 85 Mercury Topaz, and I beat the crud out of that car. My uncle gave it to me when I was 17, and got my license cause he was buying a new car, and they only wanted to give him $100 bucks for it. It only had 56k miles at the time, but the car was already 15 years old at that time. It was a good car, and for the first year I had good luck with it, but after that I had so many problems with it. I hit potholes, and took it down gravel roads going 25, and 30 mph not slowing down. EVERYTHING in the front end that happened to that car was my fault. My grandfather gave me the money to fix it, and it wound up costing $1000 bucks. It all started when the cv joints started clicking, and we brought it to some rip off artist who said EVERYTHING in the front end was bad. It was, but only they didn't fix it. All they obviously fixed were the cv joints, because the tie rods, and ball joints all went soon after within months even though the receipt said they replaced those as well. The cv joints never went again. Thats when I started having my buddy do the work for me, and he's never done me wrong.


So since then my old Focus I just got rid of had all kinds of front end problems, but it had more miles on it than the Topaz did when it all went. I always avoided potholes with my Focus too, and as I got older, and learned the hard way with the Topaz I started taking care of my other cars. So I think the one car I beat the snot out of has cursed every other car I own no matter how I take care of it. I even drove my moms old Pontiac Grand Am for a few weeks once, and that started making popping noises, and developed sloppy steering. My XB doesn't make no noises in the suspension nor have sloppy steering. So thats my story there you have it haha!